Raghu’s wise granddaughter, Zoey Markus, returns to share Gen Z insights on closing the divide of separateness through awareness and understanding.
Fresh back from the classroom, a Mindrolling favorite and Raghu’s wise granddaughter, Zoey Markus, returns to offer her opinion on the zeitgeist of modern society, exploring her Gen Z perspective on war, self-awareness, polarity, redeemability, distraction, effort, paying attention, the environment, woke culture, and understanding.
War & the Outlook for More // Self-Awareness
Welcoming his returning guest, Gen Z representative, and his very own granddaughter, Zoey Markus, to Mindrolling, Raghu invites her to share her opinion on the ongoing war in the Ukraine. Zoey offers perspective on how war is created through dissatisfaction, an ‘outlook for more,’ and a superiority complex of people thinking they are better than others. Through this lens, Zoey shares how the antidote to this problem is self-awareness and compassion.
“There’s always some group of people that aren’t satisfied, aren’t happy, and there’s always this outlook for more, to be more than others. War wouldn’t happen if humans didn’t have a superiority complex above one another, thinking that they have to be better, or they are better. So I think it all comes down to being content in what you have.” – Zoey Markus
For more Zoey & Raghu on how Gen Z can save the world, tune to Ep. 396 of Mindrolling
Polarity & Redeemability // Distraction, Paying Attention, & Effort (10:08)
Speaking to polarity and politics, Raghu describes Ram Dass’ practice of putting difficult leaders on his altar, and how he truly felt all human beings were redeemable. Zoey explains how we come into the world as love, and how hatred is something we are taught. From here, she shares the trouble of jumping to conclusions about others. Next, they speak about getting distracted, paying attention, effort, and showing care through doing the little things.
“If someone says something wrong we can’t jumpstart to the conclusion that they are inherently a bad person. We have to think of where they’ve come from, why would they think this, how long have they thought this? Because some people aren’t as privileged to think differently.” – Zoey Markus
Climate & Environment // Woke Culture & Understanding (18:01)
Turning the conversation over to the crucial topics of climate and the environment, Raghu and Zoey illuminate the importance of keeping the Earth a safe, healthy, and inhabitable place to live for generations to come. Raghu shares about the openness and love he felt the first time he met Ram Dass. Zoey explains what “Woke Culture” means to her, and how we can move from ideology to understanding, awareness, and service.
“What we have is the possibility of transformation, and we can’t do it without being able to listen to everybody and pay real attention.” – Raghu Markus